Your guide to your first coliving experience.
“You have to experience coliving. It will change your life.”
That’s what maybe a dear friend told you.
You heard about how coliving has transformed them. You see the spark in their eyes when they talk about it. You are curious, but you don’t know where to start.
Or you heard about coliving in the news. On Youtube. Through a story shared by an acquaintance a few weeks back.
And so you wonder:
Which coliving should I join? Where should I find the space? And is it worth the price?
Let us look together at the world’s best coliving spaces, so that you can have your first real coliving experience.
But wait, who is giving this advice?
Hi, my name is Gui, and I’ve been a digital nomad for seven years, out of which I’ve lived at least five in coliving communities.
In the earlier stages, I founded my own coliving concept called Lifestyle Engineering houses, hosting coliving experiences in Barcelona, Tulum, Tallinn and Bali.
And in the last years, I’ve participated in many coliving retreats, organized some with friends, and advised or co-hosted several coliving concepts such as Experience House, Sunshine Embassy and Karisma.
I’ve also written two books on how to create coliving spaces, presided over a non-profit association dedicated to the future of living, and taken part in many industry-wide initiatives, such as founding the Coliving Insights magazine.
In short: I’ve lived and breathed coliving, and now want you to experience it to its fullest.
So let’s have a look at what coliving experiences you can choose.
Types of coliving spaces
Coliving can take different shapes and forms. At its core, to “colive” simply means to live with others - but real coliving happens when the experience is life-enhancing.
To make it simple, I’d say there are three main types of coliving experiences you can have.
1. Coliving retreats. These are pop-up coliving experiences. Immerse yourself for a week or a month into a coliving experience, usually designed around a theme such as health, entrepreneurship or digital nomadism.
My personal verdict:
- Coliving retreats are a great way to have your first coliving experience and immerse yourself within a community of shared interest
- Coliving retreats can sometimes be short; I recommend to try out a coliving experience that lasts two weeks minimum
2. Nomad colivings. These coliving spaces welcome residents for a few weeks or months all year round. The spaces are designed for people to work, socialize, and connect through community activities.
My personal verdict:
- Great to find a balance between remote work and connecting with like-minded remote workers
- Often the ability to come for one or two weeks and then stay longer if you resonate with the vibe
- The experience is less curated than for coliving retreats, yet this allows one to have more personal and work time, and hence have a more sustainable living experience
3. Urban colivings. These coliving spaces, usually entire buildings, attract long-term residents for a period of 6 to 18 months. Urban colivings offer new city dwellers and anyone the opportunity to share many amenities with others and live in a stimulating, urban environment.
My personal verdict:
- Living in an urban coliving space is the long-term way of making coliving your true lifestyle
- Many urban coliving spaces require long-term leases; it is not always possible to try them out first
Personally, I recommend you first sign up for a coliving retreat or relocate for a few weeks to a nomad coliving, especially if you have a stable home.
This will give you a first experience of how powerful living with others can be - and then, you can decide whether you want to have more coliving experiences.
How to evaluate a good coliving space
Before showing you my favorite colivings, let me explain what is truly important in vetting yours.
The best way to join coliving experiences is by word-of-mouth.
If someone in your network shared with you about their experience, ask them which one it was. Word-of-mouth and asking people is the best way to get credible feedback on which coliving space actually provides a great vibe.
But generally, a good coliving space will have the following:
- A dedicated community facilitator on site: you can see it usually straight on the website, most coliving operators with a strong community have their team featured.
- Have a curated program for the week: experienced coliving creators know the importance of having a dedicated program, from social time to experiences and learning sessions. Coliving spaces that do not feature any concrete activities might turn out disappointing.
- Host at least 10-15 people: if you realize that the coliving space is only a large apartment or a small home, then it’s too small to have a true communal experience.
- And, as an additional step, have great testimonies on Google.
The best coliving retreats
Coliving retreats are perfect to get a first taste of coliving. Choose a coliving retreat based on your own interests and where you resonate the most with their community.
Here is my unfiltered list based on personal recommendations and my own experience:
- Cloud Connections
- Work Wanderers
- HackerParadise
- Minoma Retreat
- Experience House
- The Eatinerant
- Escape (ourescape.co)
The best nomad colivings
- Nomadgao
- Sun&Co
- Ahora Living
- Cloud Citadell
- Bonne Vie
- Transylvanian Coliving
- Nomadico
- Cornerstone Coliving
- Lokal Coliving
- Mokrin House
- Cummari Coliving
- Swiss Escape
- Vine21
- Sende Coliving
- Nine Coliving
- Novovento
- Evolve Coliving
- Anceu Coliving
The best urban coliving spaces
- Urban Campus
- Node
- Cohabs
- LifeX
- LaCasa
- Happy Pigeon
Find coliving spaces on your own
All my recommendations came from my personal experience with these spaces, word-of-mouth feedback and reputation in the industry.
If you want to have a look at more coliving spaces and retreats, check out colivingcompass.com. It’s a recently launched platform dedicated to nomad coliving experiences. They also have a list of upcoming retreats.
Another platform is coliving.community. Founded by a true community enthusiast, you can filter based on your preferences, lifestyle interests and personal values.
Conclusion
Choosing the right coliving space can be a transformative experience, allowing you to immerse yourself in a community that nurtures your lifestyle and work ambitions. Whether you’re drawn to the thematic focus of coliving retreats, the flexibility of nomad colivings, or the vibrant, urban life of long-term coliving spaces, there’s a community out there that aligns with your needs and aspirations.